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| NEWS - August 19, 2008 |
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| MNA business raises questions as election nears |
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By Tobias Romaniuk
Post Staff
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The Metis Nation of Alberta elections are fast approaching, and the battle for the leadership of Alberta’s Metis people has raised some concerns about the management of Metco Ventures Incorporated — a company considered to be working at arm’s length with the Metis Nation of Alberta.
The company was at one time run by current MNA Region 1 vice-president, Rick Boucher, who in March of 2007 was listed as director and sole shareholder.
Boucher, who is running for re-election, has since been replaced by Myles Arnfinson and Christine Cardinal, two Region 1 employees, according to a corporate registry search. Boucher is now the spokesperson for Metco Ventures, according to a recent press release which announced that the MNA, in partnership with Metco, will commit $1 million over three years to various Metis initiatives, but doesn’t go into specifics.
The press release has some election candidates wondering about where that money will come from, and what the financial situation of Metco is.
"Do they have it? I couldn’t tell you," said former Metco director and MNA vice president Gary Bourque. "They’re operating in secrecy."
Metco Ventures was forged from the remains of a numbered company, and began in 1996 with an inherited deficit of $6,562. A voluntary board of directors was formed with 11 members, with funds held in trust and a mandate to protect the assets of MNA Region One members.
In their first year, Metco Ventures managed to reduce their debt by $4,000 while earning $182,311 in revenue. By September 30, 1999, Metco Ventures had a net income of $109,540 and total revenues of $869,278.
Wilfred "Pappy" Boucher was on the board of directors for Metco until September 1999, but left when new leadership was elected to the MNA Region One office.
"We left it in good financial condition," Boucher said.
Financial records show that between September of 1999 and March 31, 2000, the company lost $130,000 — the first loss posted since operating as Metco Ventures.
The losses coincide with a change in leadership of Region One, with Rick Boucher taking over as vice-president and also as director of Metco.
There are no financial statements available beyond March of 2000, and Metco Ventures has been struck from the corporate registry for failing to provide the provincial government with financial statements — something every corporation in the province must do. The result is a loss of the company’s incorporated status as of July 2.
Bourque is frustrated at the lack of accountability.
"Tell the people where the money is coming from," he said. "The people want financial statements."
Among the missing documents are the accounts of how $1.1 million of Health Canada grants were spent.
MNA president Audrey Poitras said, "We never saw a complete report."
In March of 2007 Boucher negotiated with Metis National Council’s Minister of Health David Chartrand to have the Health Canada grant awarded to Metco Ventures — a company for which Boucher was the sole director and shareholder at the time.
Health Canada only made one payment of $577,000 to Metco Ventures, and as of deadline the Lac La Biche Post was still waiting for reports from Health Canada on how Metco spent the money.
Poitras has seen a report that accounts for $140,000 of the grant money, but never anything outlining how the rest of the money was spent.
"If at the end of the day we find out that all the money was used for health programs I’ll be happy," she said, but added that she still held some doubts.
Poitras filed a complaint with the Metis Judiciary Council, the result of which was the suspension of Boucher from the MNA until 2010 for conflict of interest.
Boucher took the matter to the provincial court, which upheld the Metis Judiciary decision.
He is hoping justices at the Alberta Court of Appeal will overturn the decision made at the provincial court and MJC. The Court of Appeal granted Boucher a stay, so he remains Region One’s vice-president pending his hearing later this year. He is also seeking re-election.
Repeated attempts by the Post to contact Boucher went unanswered. Messages left for the vice-president were also not returned.
With so few answers available on the status of Metco, most of the candidates seeking postions in the Sept. 2 MNA elections are focusing on the issue as a major topic of their campaigns. |
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